How to save money when upgrading or refurbishing machine tools 

Jeremy Procter, Convenor of the European Standards Committee responsible for Machine Guards, and Managing Director of Procter Machine Guarding, explains how outsourcing the design and manufacture of guarding can pay dividends for companies upgrading or refurbishing machine tools.

Manufacturing industry in the UK is under greater pressure than ever, largely as a result of imports from low-cost economies in Eastern Europe, Asia and the Far East. Not surprisingly, many companies are therefore looking to upgrade their machine tools or purchase refurbished equipment, rather than making heavy investments in new machinery.

Either way, depending on the work undertaken, there is a good chance that the machine tool will need to be CE marked again - which has implications for the guards. And even where CE marking is not required, the existing guarding may not meet current standards, so will have to be replaced. In addition, because the guarding is external to the machine, it usually suffers its fair share of wear and tear, so it is replaced as a matter of course to make a refurbished machine tool appear more attractive - and more modern. Yet another argument in favour of replacing guarding is that properly designed guarding can help to reduce the time required to set-up, operate and maintain the machine tool, thus improving productivity.

While the temptation might be to design and manufacture the new guarding in-house, better results will almost certainly be achieved if the services of a specialist guarding manufacturer are sought. Not only do specialists have an in-depth knowledge and, most importantly, understanding of the current guarding standards, they also have an appreciation of the other important issues, such as ergonomics, coolant and swarf management, and noise control. Often the guarding company will work with industrial designers to ensure that the finished machine tool has the aesthetics that will appeal to prospective customers and operatives.

What must be remembered, however, is that guarding specialists can apply their knowledge and experience in a highly efficient and productive way. This, in conjunction with having state-of-the-art tools available, means that the guarding can usually be designed, manufactured, delivered and, if required, installed more economically than the customer could do it in-house. And the same is true whether the project is a one-off or a series of machine tools.

As the UK's leading machine guarding specialist, Procter Machine Guarding offers a comprehensive service to customers that are outsourcing their machine tool guarding. Movable guards can be manually opened or powered, viewing windows or portholes can be sized and positioned to give a clear view of the process, and attention to detail ensures that swarf and coolant management is optimised. User interfaces can either be built into the enclosure guards or located on swinging arms or pedestals, depending on the application requirements. Machine enclosure guards can be finished in the customer's choice of colours, applied as a tough polyester powder coat.

Alternatively, if a customer already has satisfactory guard designs, Procter Machine Guarding can provide a quote for manufacturing these to the existing specifications. And if the machine tool is to be attended by a robot, Procter also offers a choice of modular perimeter guarding systems to safeguard the robot's working area.

To discuss any requirements for safeguarding machine tools, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or telephone 02920 855758.